CHINESE OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS. 
390 
On this occasion the English Ambassador sent to convey tribute, landed 
at the mouth of the river leading to Teen-sin. It was specially ordered that 
Loo-king-gih and Kwang-hwae should communicate authoritatively the im.- 
perial pleasure, that a banquet should be conferred and he the Ambassador 
be ordered to return thanks for the banquet by performing the ceremony of 
three kneelings, and nine knocks of the head upon the ground. — If it were 
performed according to the prescribed rule, then to bring the embassy to 
Pekin the same day, if the Ambassador did not know how to perform the 
ceremony, then to report to the Emperor and wait his pleasure. 
Their ships are not to be caused to depart ; they were to return from Teen- 
sin by the way they came, and to return to their country by sea. Soo-ling- 
gih and Kwang-hwae purposely acted contrary to the Imperial pleasure, and 
brought onward the embassy, and they connived at the ships going away in 
a clandestine manner. 
Because the affair was not yet settled, Ho-she-tae, and Moo-kih-tun were 
ordered to go and meet the embassy at Tung-chow, and there exercise them 
in the ceremony. To the 6th day of the 7th moon (28th August) was the 
period limited. If within that period they performed the ceremony, then to 
bring them forward immediately ; if when the time was elapsed they had 
still not observed the proper forms, then to report to the Emperor and wait 
his pleasure. 
On the 5th Ho-she-tae, and Moo-kih-tang-gih, sent a confused obscure re- 
port, and on the 6th brought forward the embassy. 
I, the Emperor, at half-past one o’clock descended to the King-ching-teen 
(Hall of Diligent Governance), and called these two men to an interview to 
interrogate them respecting the performance of the ceremony. These two 
pulled off their caps, and dashed their heads against the ground, saying the 
ceremony had not yet been practised. When they were again asked, “ Since 
the ceremony was not performed, why did not you report ?” Ho-she-tae 
said, “ To-morrow morning, when they enter to see Your Majesty, they 
must be able to perform agreeably to the proper form.” In this the fault of 
these two men was the same as, or equal to, those who preceded them. 
On the morning of the 7th, after breakfast, at half-past five o’clock, I, the 
Emperor, dictated my pleasure, that I would ascend the Hall, and call the 
Ambassador to an audience. Ho-she-tae, the first time, reported to me that 
the Ambassador could not travel fast ; when he arrived at the gate my plea- 
sure should be again requested. The next time he reported that the princi- 
